About

I’m a New York City based writer/director and occasional producer. I do all those things with my lifelong best friend and filmmaking partner David Levien. Some of our movies are Rounders, Solitary Man, Knockaround Guys, Ocean’s Thirteen and The Illusionist (check IMDB for exact credits). David and I also directed the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary This is What They Want.
I am a Grantland contributor and once in a while, when someone asks me to act in a movie, I say yes. Two of these are Michael Clayton and Premium Rush. You can find me on twitter @briankoppelman and my Six Second Screenwriting Lessons are on Vine.
My wife, the novelist Amy Koppelman, and I have two children.

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12 thoughts on “About”

Just read your KNICKS SUCK article. And felt your pain. I’m a fan since the age of 6, and actually coached for 8 years (several D1 and a few pros). I am a writer who loves your film work, and have developed a TV Series that I’d love to have you direct/produce. I’m a produced NYC playwright and optioned screenwriter.

It’s set in a world that you are passionate about! Can I send the pilot and set up a meeting with you?

Hey Brian,
Love the vine and podcast.
Your curiosity and interest in all of your subjects keeps it real.
I’m an actor director based in Toronto and stumbled upon the pod during a vary dark time this winter. You saved me with your inspired take on the moments of our creative life and the clarifying possibilities of the vine kept me swinging.
Thanks for keepin the light on man.
You never know how it’s gonna show up until it does.
Ya helped keep me awake and swingin
Be well
Glengaston
Ps get Adam Duritz on for the new album

I just found your vine and I wanted to take the time to say thank you. I have been feeling uninspired and that “you should give up” feeling has started to take hold. Having those 6 seconds of encouragement means so much to me, so much that I cry when I watch them. My life has been one failure after another and my family actually told me that I don’t have the right to dream anymore, that I have to grow up. After watching your Vines, I think I might be able to push through. I appreciate that you are giving back to budding screenwriters; paying it forward. Thank you so much.

From listening to your podcast you seem to actually appreciate feedback, so here I am. All summer I’ve been working on a photo project in the East Village and Lower East Side. While I’m shooting, I listen to music and podcasts. I’ve been plowing through the back catalog of The Moment, and I’ve really enjoyed it. It is now, in my mind, intertwined with my project. So much so that I can tell you what episode was playing when I look at certain photos. Keep up the good work.

Hi Brian, I wanted to send you a message but it requires a bit more space than is allowed in Twitter.
I’m not asking for anything – I just wanted to thank you from the deepest part of me for reigniting my passion for screenwriting which I had lost twenty years ago.
After I had stumbled onto your Vines and listened to them all I was inspired to give it another try. No, that’s not quite right. I was inspired to finish a screenplay, no matter what. Gone are the excuses like ‘I don’t have enough time’ or ‘no one will want to read what I have to say’.
I might be late to the game but I feel that spark again and it feels great. I’ve currently finished a TV pilot which is doing well in a few contests I entered it in and I’m currently part way through my feature length comedy screenplay.
Thank you again, you’ve kick started my heart (Had to throw in a Motley Crue reference).

Brian,
Not sure where to send the email, so I thought I’d post it here.

Thank you so much for continuing to recruit the most interesting and amazing people for your Moment podcast.

So many of the guests on your show are people who’s work don’t run parallel to my main interests, or who I don’t know well beyond face value. Your conversations are full of charm, intellect and incredible insight, and do wonders to promote the power of positivity and the idea (to borrow a line from Gladwell) of a tipping point arriving in someone’s life.

The idea that if you work hard enough and want to achieve something bad enough is still alive and breathing in this world because of people like you and your guests.

Hey Brian,
Just heard your podcast on Rich Roll and it truly inspired me. It’s almost like listening my own story with regards to uncovering the essential truths about who we are, our deepest passions and how we need to continue to push towards our creative North Star.

I lived in Los Angeles for 20 years and never indeed activated due to fears and “the voices” we live in SF now and although I am currently in a highly creative field – I think you’ve motivated me to challenge myself to go down a creative double-black-diamond (writing) tap into my LA network and give it another go!